The Paradox of Choice

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Here's an interesting idea that could, in theory, be applied to several disciplines. The Paradox of Choice is the idea that too much choice actually leads to indecision, anxiety, and well, not choosing anything. The term comes from the 2004 book of the same name by Barry Schwartz. The original context of the book was consumer products and shopping but I came across it in my information architecture readings.

Designing information spaces involves navigation and usability. The idea of Paradox of Choice comes into play when deciding what options to give users when they search for content. For large, complex sites, this is a huge undertaking. I remember my frustrations doing this while working at a city/regional magazine in Annapolis. I decided the website needed to be reworked, specifically the navigation. But because we supplied content from two monthly magazines, it was extremely difficult to provide enough options for users to find what they need but few enough so they don't get confused. It's a subtle give-and-take.

I've added an image of a visualization of this interesting paradox.